If I Am Not Mistaken
by LegolasLover2003
Summary: Legolas and Bilbo meet once more in Rivendell prior to Elrond's council. Both are reminded of the past. Written for the Teitho contest for December 2015 but it did not place.


**Title:** _"If I Am Not Mistaken..."_  
 **Author:** LegolasLover2003 aka Ashley  
 **Category:** Book - _"The Lord of the Rings"_  
 **Genre:** General  
 **Rating:** G  
 **Disclaimer:** I do not own any rights to _"The Lord of the Rings"_ or _"The Hobbit"_. I just adore them to pieces.  
 **Author's Note:** Written for the Teitho Fanfiction contest in December 2015. The theme was "Memories" but it did not place.

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" **If I Am Not Mistaken..."**

* * *

"If I am not mistaken... you are, the Hobbit. Correct?"  
Bilbo Baggins blinked, looking up from the book in his lap and staring at the Elven figure who had silently crept up before him. As the elderly Hobbit leaned back, his gaze trailing up the form, there was confusion and... bewilderment in his gaze.  
"I do believe I have heard your voice somewhere before..." Bilbo replied, setting his book to the side. "And you do seem very familiar..."  
A small smile graced the prince's features as he motioned to a spot on the nearby bench, quite content to wait until the smaller being acquiesced. When the Halfling nodded, the Elf sat down, his long blond hair falling over his shoulders as he did so.  
"We spoke for a time, long ago. Though I am almost certain that you did not know to whom you spoke."  
Bilbo continued to stare at the Elf for a long time until snapping his fingers suddenly. "You were in Mirkwood! And Dale! I recall your name quite well, my lord Legolas... for your father's halls provided many of the comforts of home."  
Laughing softly, the prince smiled, "Even though he knew not that he was offering, hmm?" he asked slyly before nodding. "I had thought it to be you, Master Baggins. You must forgive my sudden intrusion into your book but... well your presence here has reminded me of home."  
There was a slight twinkle of mischief in the old Hobbit's eye. "Does this mean you are going to the council as well?" A nod from the Elf confirmed it and Bilbo smiled. "Splendid! I am glad to see the Elvenking taking an interest in matters beyond his door these days."  
Legolas sighed slightly, "Yes well, you changed things quite a bit with that dragon nonsense. I am still amazed to know you came out of such chaos alive."  
"Aren't we all?" Bilbo added with a smile. "But come! Come! Tell me of your homeland. How fares the Elvenking and the woodland realm?"  
For a time, the archer found himself silent. How did his home fare? He had been there not too terribly long ago... but at the time, things were hardly going well. "War is coming..." Legolas eventually whispered. "My father is still the same. Strong... proud... resolute in his defense of his people... but the dark deeds at the slopes of Erebor brought home the reality of the world to my kin. We have been preparing ever since. Though... the spiders have lessened of late."  
Bilbo seemed to shiver slightly, "That should please him. Nasty things those spiders. I found your forest quite enchanting, no pun intended of course, and would have liked to visit the paths once more... but... I am old now, and Rivendell is certainly a hard doorstep to walk away from when the bones are weary. It is simply too bad that I could not visit with your father once more, my lord. He was unlike anyone else I had ever encountered."  
This drew Legolas's attention more readily, as the outside opinions of his father were few and far between. Most claimed him to be cold and ruthless... but the prince knew the truth of the matter. While others found him ill-tempered, Legolas understood that a firm hand was needed at times... and that at others, the Elvenking could smile as readily as anyone. He simply chose not to let every Elf in the realm see such a thing.  
"How so, Master Baggins?" Legolas found himself asking, wondering what the old Hobbit's memory of the Elvenking truly entailed.  
Bilbo glanced one way and then the other before leaning closer to the prince at his side. "Now, do not take this the wrong way, my lord but I found the Elvenking to be quite a bit more agreeable than I originally thought." after a brief pause, the Hobbit continued. "He expected much from those around him, but he seemed to hold himself to a similar regard. I never heard malice in his words... arrogance perhaps but he never spoke in hatred. He has a silver tongue though, no matter how you look at it. Silver enough to rival that of a dragon, though I meant that as the utmost compliment of course. His charm, I think, is in strength. Lord Thranduil is nothing like Lord Elrond... but I find both equally strong. The way your father handled things after the battle... well it brought tears to this Hobbit's eyes I assure you. That is why I gave him those jewels."  
"And for that, he still thanks you." Legolas replied softly, thinking over the halfling's words. "My father... is not Lord Elrond... in this you are right. But he is great in other ways... ways closer to my own heart. I very much imagine that you shall met my father again, Master Baggins... and by the grace of the Valar, in days far less dark than..."  
"Legolas! Why did you not tell us you had returned?!" came the shout of Elladan as he and his brother Elrohir hurried onto the balcony.  
Quickly the prince stood, so as not to get poor Bilbo mixed up in the greetings of the twin sons of Elrond. "I..."  
"Come! You must tell us everything from the north. We..." but the prince held up one hand to silence Elrohir before turning his blue gaze back upon the bench.  
Only Bilbo was gone.  
As the twins led Legolas away, the Hobbit peeked out from behind a nearby pillar. Bilbo smiled to himself as he watched the three go, laughing and talking merrily and seeming for all the world not unlike Hobbits in their tweens. It did Bilbo's heart good to see such smiles in dark days. Returning to his bench, the halfling sat down once more and picked up his book. As he flipped through the pages, Bilbo knew he would have to speak with the Mirkwood prince again concerning matters in the wood and for news of Dale and beyond... but right now, the Hobbit was quite content to get right back into his book. At least, until their next meeting...

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 **The End**

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 **Muse Moments:  
** Nil sighed, flipping through a book. "I wish I had more energy..." she said before sneezing. "Ugh but this cold's got me down..."  
Quirking one eyebrow, Legolas glanced at her from the doorway. "Luckily you have me around... who is impervious to colds and the like. Though Ned did make you a pie, he asked that I deliver any slices as your cold could be hazardous to his health."  
"Figures..." Nil replied, rolling her eyes. "Not even Paris will come in here."  
"That is because he can not decide if you have a cold or merely allergies and thus does not wish to risk it." Legolas replied, crossing his arms over his chest. "Am I going to have to write your drabbles?"  
"No..." Nil said with a sigh. "I have two written... will you just type them for me?"  
Blinking, the Elf shook his head, "As if I knew how to work that... thin box..."  
"It's called a laptop, hun." Nil replied with a giggle... that was then punctuated with a sneeze. **  
**


End file.
